Do gorillas attack people?

But decades of research into gorillas does offer some clues. The truth is that gorillas need very careful handling. Gorilla troupes are led by huge silverback males (Credit: Anup Shah/naturepl.com). Gorillas were once depicted as violent brutes who would kill a human at any chance encounter. read more

Generally, gorillas are very shy and reserved towards people. They will attack only if they are surprised or threatened or if a person behaves in the wrong way. If the human makes an unexpected movement, the silverback male can react with horrific roaring and bluff charges. read more

If they feel the scence or presence of humans their first reaction is to move away. However, if an intruder come too close to the family, the silverback gorillas could react aggresively but only to scare them away. In short, no, they would attack only if there is REALLY no other chance and ONLY IF PROVOCATED. read more

Even when attacks do occur, they are rarely fatal. These stories all relate to wild gorillas, but captive gorillas do not seem to be significantly different. There are only a few cases of captive gorillas behaving aggressively towards humans. read more